Black-out venetian blind



June 22, 1943. WRIGHT 2,322,612

BLACKOUT VENET IAN BLIND Filed Jan. 17, 1942 FIG. 4

Patented June 22, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLACK-OUT VENETIAN BLIND Richard B. Wright, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application January '17, 1942,. Serial No. 427,189 6 Claims. (Cl:l60--166) In view of I the war conditions prevailing in the United States and other countries incident to the present world war, the problem of providing for blackout means for dwellings, factories, and the like in the countries at war has become a grave one. Crude expedients comprising the employment of black cloth or like curtains for windows, doors, openings, and other glass closed spaces may be resorted to. Of course, any kind of opaque coverings may be employed, but at best the use of such expedients involves special difliculties in hanging the coverings, and form crude alternatives in the absence of efficient means that may be resorted to.

In view of the foregoing, the purpose of the present invention has been to so design the com--v mon type of Venetian blind, very muchused in this country today and in other countries, in order. to convert such a blind into a blackout expedient which may be quickly operated to provide for blackout functioning, but which may at the same time be employed generally in the common manner of use as an adjustable blind for regulating'the amount of light permitted to enter a room or like space.

The present types of Venetian blinds which are commonly employed today do not admit of use for blackout purposes because the slats which compose the blind are not capable of being adjusted sufficiently close at their overlapping edges to prevent light rays from passing therebetween and thereby throwing lines of light to the exterior of the blind.

In carrying out my invention, therefore, I have first made provision in my blind construc tion for the adjustment of the slats of the blind in such a manner that they will be caused to practically close fully against one anotherwhen they are tilted, downwardly and outwardly for preventing light rays from passing through to the exterior portion of the blind. The usual reason for the inability of the slats'to close together tightly at their overlapping edges when disposed as above mentioned is due to the provision of the lifting cords that pass through the blinds, and the thickness of which is such as to interfere with the full closing or contacting of the slats when approaching their closing positions. One expedient that may be used and which I have employed to obviate the above difliculty is the provision of lifting ,wires of relatively fine diameter that will practically enable the overlapping edges of the blind slats to contact and become fully closed.

Another provision which I have invented to enable the eflicient closing together of the slats of the blind in the manner stated is to utilize the action of the tilt rail or bar by which the slats are tilted to produce a tensioning or stretching action of the supporting tapes for the slats, such as to apply pressure forces against the inner sides of the slats when tilted outwardly and downwardly, which pressure forces will successfully cause the overlapping edge contacts of the slats to such a close degree as to emciently exclude the passage of light between the slats to the outside thereof.

In carrying out the function of the tapes as just last referred to, I have developed a special form of hold-down bracket, a pair of which brackets are applied to the sill of the window or like opening and caused to be interlocked with an interlocking engaging plate applied to the end of the bottom rail or bar of the blind. These engaging plates cooperating with the hold-down brackets in a peculiar way different from the cooperation heretofore had between the bottom rail and such hold-down brackets, maintain the bottom rail in a fixed non-tilting position so as to permit the functioning of the tapes to produce the pressure force desired against the inner sides of the slats in effecting the full closing contact of the latter.

It being well known that under war conditions. when cities are bombed, there is a tendency of inhabitants to become panic-stricken, I make another provision in the construction of my socalled blackout Venetian blind for preventing the person intending to manipulate the same to produce the blackout function, from inadvertently or panic-strickenly causing the slats of the blind to move to the position of wrong inclination, namely, the inclinationdownwardly and inwardly, which of course, would defeat the blackout function of the blind and might permit light rays to pass upwardly and outwardly through the blind slats.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment of my invention which, however, may be modified in certain features of construction as to the details illustrated, within the purview of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the said accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a light opening of a structure such as a window equipped with a Venetian blind of the type of my present improvements.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line approximating the line 2-12 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the blind showing the slats in the positions assumed thereby as the blind is being closed, and showing the hold-down bracket engaging plates in the act of being adjusted to be received inthe interlocking slots of the hold-down brackets that cooperate with the bottom rail or bar of the blind.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating the final movement imparted to the head rail by the tilt mechanism for so adjusting said head rail as to exert the desired tension upon the supporting tapes of the slats as to produce the full closing action or the slats at their overlapping portions ior prevention of passage oi light outwardly between said slats.

Figure 5 is a partial cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure l.

- In the drawing A denotes a conventional win dow frame in which is mounted a Venetian blind embodying my invention. The general construction or the Venetian blind is very similar to those blinds at present in use and intentionally so because it is desired not to change materially the construction oi present types 01' blinds of this sort in modifying the same to obtain the blackout function desired as above set forth. Therefore, my Venetian blind comprises the usual headbar or rail I which is attached to the upper end of the window frame or other frame of a light opening in a dwelling, factory, or the like. The headbar l carries the tilting mechanism for the for light producing eiiects, if desired, but the 5 member it must be located so as to advise the operator of the blind quickly, by abutment with the-lug it, that h cannot close'the blind incident to downward and inward inclination of the slats.

Thus, it a person becomes panic-stricken and tries to close the blind in the manner last stated,

. he will realize quickly that he is turning the blind and this tilting mechanism may be any one v of many types of such units that are manufac tured today. As illustrated, it comprises a bracket 2 supporting a worm 3 on a worm ishait 4 carrying the pulley wheel 5. Over the pulley wheel, for rotating the same, is the tilting rope O. The worm 3 engages a worm sector or wheel l, the shaft 8 of whichsupports the tilting mem-' her 9 that connects the shaft with the tilt bar other end a plate l2 interlocks with the portion 9a or the tilting member 8 in line with customary practice. v

' The slats i3 01" the blind are slightly curved I metal slats, as illustrated, but may be wooden slats, as desired. They work largely in theusual manner, being supported by tapes 14, spaced as usual and a suitable number oi'which may be employed customarily, dependent upon the width blind slats in the wrong direction, and will reverse the movement of the tilt mechanism by pulling the rope 8 so as to close the slats by outward and downward tilting action of the As is well known, Venetian blinds today may be supplied with cooperating hold-down brackets 20 which heretofore have been commonly used to engage over pintles on the ends of they bottom rail ll merely to obtain a pull-down contact for preventing the blind from swaying in the wind inwardly and outwardly, or flapping.

In my present invention I so design the holddown brackets 20 as to provide them with vertical slots 2| in the upper horizontal portions 22 and at the lower edges of the latter. I also provide downwardly extending end lugs 23 on the said portions 22 of said brackets 20. On the bottom rail I1 I provide special hold-down plates 24 to interlockwith the slots 2| when the blind It will be evident that the interlocklng engagement of the parts 2i and 24 will hold the bottom rail or bar II in a vertical position and lishing the cooperation of the parts comprising the bottom'rail and hold-down brackets as shown in Figure 4, the tilting mechanism described may be operated to tilt the tilt bar llto an extreme position somewhat as-illustrated at the top of Figure 4, thereby to tension the'tapes It in such a manner as to cause the inner tapes to exert a lateral outward pressure force on the inner sides of the practically vertical slats and thus 01' the blind. The tapes 14 are aflixed at their upper ends to the tilt bar ill by any suitable ailixing means such as iastenings shown best in Figures 3 and 4.

The slats of the blind are raised and lowered.

press the overlapping portions of these slats toa gether suificiently as to eflectively close them against the passage of light therebetween to the outer side of the blind.

by the usual cords l5 supplied for thispurpose, 1

except that these cords are connected. with fine wires it that pass through the usual openings in the slats and are of such fine diameter as to permit, practically speaking, the overlapping edges of the slats to fully contact. The lifting wires l6 extend from the bottom rail ll upwardlyv Figure S'illustratesthe action of adjusting the bottom rail to its proper position to interlock the plates 24 with the slots 2|. The {form of the" horizontal arms 222 of the hdld-down brackets 20 is such that a horizontal edge is provided under the-arm 22 of each bracket. When it-is not desired to employ the blackout function of the blind, the bottom rail u may be horizontally disposed'as usual and cause to a be positioned so that-the flat portions of the plates 24, or even their edges, may engage the the sides of the windowirame, I may preferably mount on said window frame sides vertical c1os-' ing plates 25 which are hinged to small hinge plates 26 attached to the sides of the window frame. Normally, the plates 25 will be disposed to lie outwardly positioned away from the blind slats l3 in the ordinary use of the blind. Under blackout conditions the operator of the blind will simply move these plates 25 pivotally to swing them so that they extend inwardly from. each side of the window frame and overlie the space between the ends of the slats l3 and the sides of said frame, when the slats are vertically adjusted in blackout closing positions. The plates 25 may have flanges 25a to effectively close all space between the slats and the plates when the latter are in blackout positions.

It will be understood that the tilt mechanism described as coacting with the tilt bar l really has a dual function, namely, that of causing a normal operation of the tapes to tilt the slats in much the usual manner except as limited in one direction by the stop It, and, secondly, that of efi'ecting an abnormal operation of the tapes when the hold-down brackets 20 are interlockingly engaged with the bottom rail 1 by means of the plates 24. It is only during the latter condition that the abnormal tension on the inner tapes for causing blackout contact of the overlapping portions of the slats I3 is obtained, enabled by the thin wire lifting means Hi.

It is noted that in lieu of wires iii, if full size cords are employed, the portions of slats l3 that fold against the cords may be pressed out to fit the cords and enable the main overlapping parts of the slats to contact fully along their whole lengths except where the cords pass between them at said pressed out portions. This expedient is known to those versed in the art.

I do not limit myself to the use of the stop l8 for it may be dispensed with if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A Venetian blind structure comprising slats and spaced supporting tapes coacting therewith to tilt the same, tilting means coacting with the tapes, a bottom rail connected to said tapes, hold-down brackets for the bottom rail, and parts intermediate the brackets and bottom rail to hold the latter from turning upon actuating the tilting means thereby to cause certain tapes to have abnormal pressure against and cause the slats to assume close contacting blackout condition.

2. A Venetian blind structure comprising slats and spaced supporting tapes coacting therewith to tilt the same, tilting means coacting with the tapes, a bottom rail connected to said tapes, holddown brackets for the bottom rail,. and parts intermediate the brackets and bottom rail to hold the latter from turning upon actuating the tilt-v ing means thereby to cause certain tapes to have abnormal pressure against and cause the slats to assume close contacting blackout condition, said parts including elements interlocke ing the brackets and the bottom rail when the' latter has assumed an approximately vertical position.

3. In blackout Venetian blind construction, in combination. a blind comprising slats, a tilt bar, a bottom rail, inner and outer supporting tapes for the slats connecting the tilt bar and bottom rail, instrumentalities for tilting the tilt bar to vary the positions of the slats for controlling light passage through the blind, and means cooperative with said instrumentalities to produce outward pressure forces by abnormal tension on the inner tapes, against the slats on operating said instrumentalities to cause closing contact of overlapping portions of the slats for adjusting the slats to assume blackout closing positions, said last means including hold-down brackets interlockingly engageable with the bottom rail to prevent turning thereof.

4. In blackout Venetian blind construction, in combination, a blind comprising slats, a tilt bar, a bottom rail, inner and outer supporting tapes for the slats connecting the tilt bar and bottom rail, lifting means for the slats and bottom rail, instrumentalities for tilting the tilt bar to vary the positions of the slats for controlling light passage through the blind, means cooperative with said instrumentalities to produce outward pressure forces on the inner tapes against the slats on operating said instrumentalities to cause closing contact of overlapping portions of the slats when outwardly and downwardly inclined for adjusting the slats to assume blackout closing positions, said lifting means for the bottom rail and slats comprising thin wires passing through the slats.

5. In blackout Venetian blind construction, in combination, a blind comprising slats, a tilt bar, a bottom rail, inner and outer supporting tapes for the slats connecting the tilt bar and bottom rail, lifting means for the slats and bottom rail,

instrumentalities for tilting the tilt bar to vary the positions of the slats for controlling light passage through the blind, and means cooperative with said instrumentalities to produce outward pressure forces by abnormal tension on the inner tapes, against the slats, on operating said instrumentalities to cause closing contact of overlapping portions of the slats for adjusting the slats to assume blackout. closing positions, said last means including hold-down brackets interlockingly engageable with the bottom rail to maintain the same in a, vertical position while the said instrumentalities are actuated to produce an abnormal tension on the inner tapes.

6. In blackout Venetian blind construction, in combination, a blind comprising slats, a tilt bar, a bottom rail, inner and outer supporting tapes for the slats connecting the tilt bar and bottom rail, lifting means for the slats and bottom rail, instrumentalities for tilting the tilt bar to vary the positions of the slats for controlling light passage through the blind, and means coopera- 

